Wel, fare you well, commend mee to him.
Mon. I will my lord,
Cor. And bid him ply his musicke
Mon. My lord I wil.
exit. Enter, Ofelia.
Cor. Farewel, how now
Ofelia, what's the news with you?
Ofe. O my deare father, such a change in nature, So great an alteration in a Prince, So pitifull to him, fearefull to mee, A maidens eye ne're looked on.
Cor. Why what's the matter my
Ofelia?
Of. O yong Prince
Hamlet, the only floure of
Denmark, Hee is bereft of all the wealth he had, The Iewell that ador'nd his feature most Is filcht and stolne away, his wit's bereft him, Hee found mee walking in the gallery all alone, There comes hee to mee, with a distracted looke, His garters lagging downe, his shooes vntide, And fixt his eyes so stedfast on my face, As if they had vow'd, this is their latest obiect. Small while he stoode, but gripes me by the wrist, And there he holdes my pulse till with a sigh He doth vnclaspe his holde, and parts away Silent, as is the mid time of the night: And as he went, his eie was still on mee, For thus his head ouer his shoulder looked, He seemed to finde the way without his eies: For out of doores he went without their helpe, [D3] And so did leaue me.
Cor. Madde for thy loue, What haue you giuen him any crosse wordes of late?
Ofelia I did repell his letters, deny his gifts, As you did charge me.
Cor. Why that hath made him madde: By heau'n t'is as proper for our age to cast Beyond ourselues, as t'is for the yonger sort To leaue their wantonnesse. Well, I am sory That I was so rash: but what remedy? Lets to the King, this madnesse may prooue, Though wilde a while, yet more true to thy loue.
exeunt. Enter King and Queene, Rossencraft, and Gilderstone. King Right noble friends, that our deere cosin Hamlet Hath lost the very heart of all his sence, It is most right, and we most sory for him: Therefore we doe desire, euen as you tender Our care to him, and our great loue to you, That you will labour but to wring from him The cause and ground of his distemperancie. Doe this, the king of
Denmarke shal be thankefull.
Ros. My Lord, whatsoeuer lies within our power Your maiestie may more commaund in wordes Then vse perswasions to your liege men, bound By loue, by duetie, and obedience.
Guil. What we may doe for both your Maiesties To know the griefe troubles the Prince your sonne, We will indeuour all the best we may, So in all duetie doe we take our leaue.
King Thankes Guilderstone, and gentle Rossencraft.
Que. Thankes Rossencraft, and gentle Gilderstone.
Enter Corambis and Ofelia. Cor. My Lord, the Ambassadors are ioyfully Return'd from
Norway.
King Thou still hast beene the father of good news.
Cor. Haue I my Lord? I assure your grace, [D3v] I holde my duetie as I holde my life, Both to my God, and to my soueraigne King: And I beleeue, or else this braine of mine Hunts not the traine of policie so well As it had wont to doe, but I haue found The very depth of Hamlets lunacie.
Queene God graunt he hath.
Enter the Ambassadors. King Now
Voltemar, what from our brother
Norway?
Volt. Most faire returnes of greetings and desires, Vpon our first he sent forth to suppresse His nephews leuies, which to him appear'd To be a preparation gainst the Polacke: But better look't into, he truely found It was against your Highnesse, whereat grieued, That so his sickenesse, age, and impotence, Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests On
Fortenbrasse, which he in briefe obays, Receiues rebuke from
Norway: and in fine, Makes vow before his vncle, neuer more To giue the assay of Armes against your Maiestie, Whereon olde
Norway ouercome with ioy, Giues him three thousand crownes in annuall fee, And his Commission to employ those souldiers, So leuied as before, against the Polacke, With an intreaty heerein further shewne, That it would please you to giue quiet passe Through your dominions, for that enterprise On such regardes of safety and allowances As therein are set downe.
King It likes vs well, and at fit time and leasure Weele reade and answere these his Articles, Meane time we thanke you for your well Tooke labour: go to your rest, at night weele feast togither: Right welcome home.
exeunt Ambassadors. Cor. This busines is very well dispatched. [D4] Now my Lord, touching the yong Prince Hamlet, Certaine it is that hee is madde: mad let vs grant him then: Now to know the cause of this effect, Or else to say the cause of this defect, For this effect defectiue comes by cause.
Queene Good my Lord be briefe.
Cor. Madam I will: my Lord, I haue a daughter, Haue while shee's mine: for that we thinke Is surest, we often loose: now to the Prince. My Lord, but note this letter, The which my daughter in obedience Deliuer'd to my handes.
King Reade it my Lord.
Cor. Marke my Lord. Doubt that in earth is fire, Doubt that the starres doe moue, Doubt trueth to be a liar, But doe not doubt I loue. To the beautifull
Ofelia: Thine euer the most vnhappy Prince
Hamlet. My Lord, what doe you thinke of me? I, or what might you thinke when I sawe this?
King As of a true friend and a most louing subiect.
Cor. I would be glad to prooue so. Now when I saw this letter, thus I bespake my maiden: Lord
Hamlet is a Prince out of your starre, And one that is vnequall for your loue: Therefore I did commaund her refuse his letters, Deny his tokens, and to absent her selfe. Shee as my childe obediently obey'd me. Now since which time, seeing his loue thus cross'd, Which I tooke to be idle, and but sport, He straitway grew into a melancholy, From that vnto a fast, then vnto distraction, Then into a sadnesse, from that vnto a madnesse, And so by continuance, and weakenesse of the braine [D4v] Into this frensie, which now possesseth him: And if this be not true, take this from this.
King Thinke you t'is so?
Cor. How? so my Lord, I would very faine know That thing that I haue saide t'is so, positiuely, And it hath fallen out otherwise. Nay, if circumstances leade me on, Ile finde it out, if it were hid As deepe as the centre of the earth.
King. how should wee trie this same?
Cor. Mary my good lord thus, The Princes walke is here in the galery, There let
Ofelia, walke vntill hee comes: Your selfe and I will stand close in the study, There shall you heare the effect of all his hart, And if it proue any otherwise then loue, Then let my censure faile an other time.
King. See where hee comes poring vppon a booke.
Enter Hamlet. Cor. Madame, will it please your grace To leaue vs here?
Que. With all my hart.
exit. Cor. And here
Ofelia, reade you on this booke, And walke aloofe, the King shal be vnseene.
Ham. To be, or not to be, I there's the point, To Die, to sleepe, is that all? I all: No, to sleepe, to dreame, I mary there it goes, For in that dreame of death, when wee awake, And borne before an euerlasting Iudge, From whence no passenger euer retur'nd, The vndiscouered country, at whose sight The happy smile, and the accursed damn'd. But for this, the ioyfull hope of this, Whol'd beare the scornes and flattery of the world, Scorned by the right rich, the rich curssed of the poore? The widow being oppressd, the orphan wrong'd; [E1] The taste of hunger, or a tirants raigne, And thousand more calamities besides, To grunt and sweate vnder this weary life, When that he may his full
Quietus make, With a bare bodkin, who would this indure, But for a hope of something after death? Which pusles the braine, and doth confound the sence, Which makes vs rather beare those euilles we haue, Than flie to others that we know not of. I that, O this conscience makes cowardes of vs all, Lady in thy orizons, be all my sinnes remembred.
Ofel. My Lord, I haue sought opportunitie, which now I haue, to redeliuer to your worthy handes, a small remem- brance, such tokens which I haue receiued of you.
Ham. Are you faire?
Ofel. My Lord.
Ham. Are you honest?
Ofel. What meanes my Lord?
Ham. That if you be faire and honest, Your beauty should admit no discourse to your honesty.
Ofel. My Lord, can beauty haue better priuiledge than with honesty?
Ham. Yea mary may it; for Beauty may transforme Honesty, from what she was into a bawd: Then Honesty can transforme Beauty: This was sometimes a Paradox, But now the time giues it scope. I neuer gaue you nothing.
Ofel. My Lord, you know right well you did, And with them such earnest vowes of loue, As would haue moou'd the stoniest breast aliue, But now too true I finde, Rich giftes waxe poore, when giuers grow vnkinde.
Ham. I neuer loued you.
Ofel. You made me beleeue you did.
Ham. O thou shouldst not a beleeued me! [E1v] Go to a Nunnery goe, why shouldst thou Be a breeder of sinners? I am my selfe indifferent honest, But I could accuse my selfe of such crimes It had beene better my mother had ne're borne me, O I am very prowde, ambitious, disdainefull, With more sinnes at my becke, then I haue thoughts To put them in, what should such fellowes as I Do, crawling between heauen and earth? To a Nunnery goe, we are arrant knaues all, Beleeue none of vs, to a Nunnery goe.
Ofel. O heauens secure him!
Ham. Wher's thy father?
Ofel. At home my lord.
Ham. For Gods sake let the doores be shut on him, He may play the foole no where but in his Owne house: to a Nunnery goe.
Ofel. Help him good God.
Ham. If thou dost marry, Ile giue thee This plague to thy dowry: Be thou as chaste as yce, as pure as snowe, Thou shalt not scape calumny, to a Nunnery goe.
Ofel. Alas, what change is this?
